VICTORIA, CANADA, FEBRUARY 11, 2026: Memores Software Inc. (memores.me) today announced the formation of an Advisory Board to support SPARKS, its AI-supported mental wellness platform, which represents a fundamental shift in how technology can support emotional well-being at scale.
The board is chaired by Dr. Michael Hawes, President and CEO of Fulbright Canada, and includes internationally recognized thought leaders from UCLA, The Citadel, as well as globally recognized clinical practitioners and philanthropists, all united in support of the platform’s mission to transform mental health support for millions of people worldwide.
This announcement comes at a critical moment for the mental health industry. Despite a surge in digital wellness apps after the global pandemic, there is a disconnect between what users need and what the existing technologies deliver. With a deep background in behavioral targeting and predictive analytics, Richard Zwicky, Memores’ founder and CEO, recognized that existing mental health technologies were designed to manage symptoms rather than help people understand and address the root issues. SPARKS was designed to bridge the gap between people and the mental health support they need.
A New Architecture for Mental Wellness
SPARKS is built on a fundamentally different premise from existing mental health apps. Rather than offering generic content or reactive interventions, the platform’s predictive analytics engine fosters self-awareness through the use of a patent-pending emotional intelligence framework with validated behavioral pattern recognition that adapts in real time to each user’s unique psychological profile and needs.
For the nearly one billion people globally affected by mental health conditions, many of whom face barriers related to cost, stigma, or availability, SPARKS offers a pathway to support that has not existed before.
“Most mental health apps treat users as consumers. We’re treating people as partners and giving them personalized insights in return. This becomes the largest behavioral research initiative ever attempted,” explained Richard Zwicky.
Advancing the Entire Field of Mental Health
Global spending on mental health is projected to exceed $550 billion by 2030, yet the tools available to researchers and clinicians remain largely unchanged. SPARKS is designed to benefit not only individuals seeking support but also researchers and clinicians working to improve mental health treatment protocols worldwide.
Through secure, anonymized data partnerships, SPARKS is designed to give academics and clinical researchers access to behavioral patterns at a scale that would take decades to accumulate through traditional clinical studies. Clinicians and researchers will be able to identify early warning signs, test intervention strategies, and refine therapeutic approaches with a depth and speed that current methodologies cannot match.
The result is a platform that creates value far beyond its immediate user base: every insight, pattern, and intervention contributes to a growing body of knowledge that benefits the broader mental health ecosystem.
Why World-Class Leaders Joined This Board
The company’s revolutionary approach and commitment to quality attracted board members who recognized SPARKS as a rare opportunity: to transform how mental health is understood, studied, and treated globally.
“The Fulbright program was built on a simple principle: that exchange and understanding between peoples requires trust, and that trust requires institutional integrity,” said Dr. Hawes. “The same principle applies to mental health technology. When I saw what Memores was building, and more importantly, how they were building it, I knew this was an organization that understood that genuine innovation and genuine responsibility are not in tension. They reinforce each other. That is the standard this board will uphold.”
Advisory Board Members
Dr. Michael Hawes, Chair
President and CEO, Fulbright Canada
A Fulbright alumnus and two-time recipient of an honorary doctorate, Dr. Hawes has spent more than two decades directing one of the world’s most prestigious academic exchange programs, building cross-border research partnerships that span public diplomacy, governance, and international development. He has served as board chair of the International Advisory Board of McGill University’s Institute for Studies in International Development and as Chair of the Board of Directors at Canada World Youth.
Dr. Mark S. Kaplan, Dr.P.H.
Research Professor of Social Welfare, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Dr. Kaplan is an internationally recognized expert in public health and suicide prevention research. He has received a Distinguished Investigator Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for his significant contributions to the field. His research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on identifying suicide risk factors among veterans, seniors, and other vulnerable populations. Dr. Kaplan has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles and has served on the CDC’s Board of Scientific Counselors, and the Veterans Administration’s Blue Ribbon Work Group on Suicide Prevention. Additionally, he has testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, highlighting his influential role in shaping national policy and public health initiatives.
Dr. Lloyd “Chip” Taylor, Ph.D.
Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology, The Citadel
A clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric psychology, Fulbright Fellow, and former Arland D. Williams Professor of Heroism, Dr. Taylor served as the 2016 to 2017 Fulbright Canada-Palix Foundation Distinguished Chair in Brain Science and Child and Family Wellness at the University of Calgary. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Fulbright Canada Alumni Advisory Board.
Dr. Donaleen Hawes, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist; Former Superintendent of Education, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
A clinical psychologist and veteran education leader, Dr. Hawes brings decades of experience bridging psychological practice with institutional governance. As superintendent, she championed innovative school-based mental health curricula, including a peer-reviewed CBT program developed in collaboration with the University of Toronto, which has been recognized as a model for youth mental health intervention.
Ms. Natalie Moores
Founding Partner, Denning Moores, APC; Founder, Project Welcome Ukraine; President, Change for Justice
A San Diego-based philanthropist, TEDx speaker, and former managing partner of a mid-market mergers and acquisitions firm, Ms. Moores brings executive leadership experience spanning corporate governance, nonprofit strategy, and social impact. She founded Project Welcome Ukraine to provide housing and resettlement support for refugee families and serves as President of Change for Justice, a nonprofit promoting legislative reform on social issues.
Mr. Darrell Pacini, M.Ed., RCC, B.A.C.P.
Registered Clinical Counsellor and Executive Coach; Founder, Darrell Pacini & Associates
With over 25 years in clinical practice and executive coaching, Mr. Pacini has mentored entrepreneurs, business executives, and Olympic athletes on six continents. A Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology, he specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy, somatic experiencing, and integrative approaches to addiction recovery, grief, and high-performance leadership.
About Memores Software Inc.
Memores Software Inc., headquartered in Victoria, BC, Canada, is a predictive analytics technology company that created SPARKS. This AI-supported mental wellness platform validates psychological frameworks and behavioral pattern recognition with patent-pending emotional intelligence systems to deliver personalized insights that support emotional well-being, self-understanding, and behavioral change. Founded on the principle that mental health data demands the highest standard of care in the technology industry, Memores is committed to privacy-first design, ethical AI, and independent governance.
For more information, visit memores.me
